Improving recruitment, beneficial solutions for military courses sent to abroad courses and providing motivational services to non-professional soldiers – these are any of the changes proposed in the amendment of the Law on Defence of the Homeland. The draft submitted by the national defence minister was adopted by the Council of Ministers on Tuesday. Now the paper goes to the parliament.
Home defence Act, governing the defence and functioning of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland, was adopted in April 2022. Since then, it has been proposed respective times. In November 2024, the Ministry of Defence submitted another draft amendment. After respective months of legislative work and arrangements yesterday, the paper was adopted by the Council of Ministers. As indicated, the main nonsubjective of the amendment is "to standardise actions to strengthen the numerical and qualitative personnel of the Polish Armed Forces". This is to be served by regulations on the conduct of military service, incentives for voluntary non-professional forms of service, and improvements in the personnel and disciplinary activities of military bodies, as well as the recruitment process. In the second regard, the fresh rules supply that the recruitment procedure for the applicant will proceed “without undue delay”.
Positive changes for soldiers serving abroad
– The amended law addresses many issues that were previously hard to regulate, for example concerning the quality of service, training outside Poland and the anticipation of staying with the household – and sometimes a two-year stay, as in the case of training on the F-35 – said Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz yesterday after the Council of Ministers meeting. This includes soldiers sent to abroad courses, internships, specializations or another forms of vocational training and improvement abroad. As proposed If the journey takes more than six months, the soldier can leave with his family (married and dependent children). MON will then reimburse, among others, the costs of stay, and will pay for children's education. – This solution will aid keep household ties and will have a affirmative impact on morale trained soldiers. It will besides translate into the quality of the activities undertaken during the service and will affect professional improvement and increase the state's defence capacity, as the representatives of the MON justified.
Unprofessional incentive benefit
The task besides provides for an additional incentive provision for non-professional soldiers and professional in the course of education at a military college, a junior advanced school, a centre or a training centre. It is to be modelled on additional motivational provision, which presently can only be received by professional soldiers. It may be granted by the Minister of National Defence in cases justified by, for example, exceptional conditions or place of service, the qualifications of a professional soldier, and the performance of tasks peculiarly crucial to the armed forces (the certificate is granted for a limited period of time, in the form of a decision determining its amount). In practice, those who carry out, for example, tasks related to the protection of the national border or prevention or disaster eradication. The introduction of akin solutions for non-professionals, who frequently execute the same tasks as professional soldiers, is intended to increase motivation and make the service more attractive, as well as to become an additional impetus for the exemplary performance of their duties and, for example, improving qualifications.
Psychological verification
The Ministry of Defence besides proposed changes to intellectual studies of military candidates. presently they are required mainly for candidates for professional soldiers, in another situations they are limited to interviewing a scientist and basic intellectual tests. After the entry into force of the fresh legislation, intellectual studies are to be compulsory for all volunteers, regardless of the form of military service to which they apply. As justified by the representatives of the MON, this amendment is intended to guarantee greater efficiency of selection, and to let for the early recognition of persons who might have difficulty adapting to the conditions and requirements of the service.
The proposals besides supply for the anticipation of sending military personnel to the military medical commissions in the event of a documented deterioration in their health. "This solution is aimed primarily at those who, many years ago during military qualifications, gained the ‘A’ category of military service, but have de facto lost that capability over those years. specified persons are listed in the military records as capable of military service, while in their state of wellness there have actually been changes causing incapacity for service, the representatives of the MON admit.
Compensation and service animals
Amendment of the Act besides introduces favourable solutions for military marriages. Currently, soldiers' parents, raising children up to four, cannot at the same time be directed on a business journey outside the place of service without express consent. A akin solution applies to a parent-soldier raising his own children. The proposals for amendments presume that the age of the kid entitled to restrict the joint posting of soldiers' spouses outside the permanent place of service will be raised to 8 years.
Reservists who were called into military exercises from 1 January 2023 to 29 September 2023 may besides number on affirmative changes. Today, due to the legal gap in the Law on the Defence of Homeland, these soldiers inactive can't number on the refund of the money for driving to and from military units. The amendment provides for the reimbursement of outstanding compensationand to submit an application to that effect, the reserve holder will have 12 months from the date of entry into force.
Changes in regulations besides apply to horses and service dogs on ‘emeriture’. – The Act regulates the care of dogs and horses serving in the Polish Army – for the remainder of their days. This was not guaranteed before, but we change it. It is very crucial to pay respect to everyone who is active – both the guardians and those who service for our safety. besides in terms of compensation and facilitation of transport – said Deputy Prime Minister Kosiniak-Kamish yesterday. The transitional provisions are intended to guarantee that dogs and horses withdrawn from military service are cared for besides before 21 December 2021.
Among the another proposed changes, the task besides foresees: raising the level of compensation in the event of a soldier's death following a military service accident, financial support to pro-defensive organisations, the establishment of commanders: a battalion and a company of disciplinary bodies, as well as recognising as ‘non-expiratory’ expenses from the Armed Forces Fund, which will not be utilized within 1 year in the implementation of multiannual contracts.
The draft amendment will now go to work in the Sejm.
